Action Research for Improving Educational Practice
A Step-by-Step Guide
- Valsa Koshy - Brunel University, UK
Whether you are a busy teacher doing research in your classroom, an undergraduate starting your research project, or a Masters level or education doctorate student writing up your dissertation, this step-by-step guide takes you through every stage involved in carrying out Action Research.
In this brand new edition, you will find additional guidance on:
- philosophical underpinnings of Action Research
- the challenges of being an insider researcher
- searching and analysing literature from the internet
- children's participation and children's rights in action research projects in educational settings
- validity and authenticity in action research
- a new chapter on writing for publication
- an action research planning sheet.
This book draws on Valsa Koshy's extensive experience of supervising researchers at all levels, and includes examples of Action Research carried out by practitioners across a range of topics and age groups. Case studies include UK and international examples, allowing you to reflect on multiple perspectives of Action Research in education.
Those new to Action Research, and those looking for a straightforward explanation of the methods involved, will find this book invaluable.
Valsa Koshy is Professor of Education and Director of a Research and Development Centre at Brunel University.
'This second edition of Valsa Koshy's book is highly readable and of genuine relevance to teachers and student teachers undertaking action research. There are many texts on action research , but this one appeals because of its clarity and sense of purpose...The book is valuable as a textbook for teachers either engaged in enquiry-based postgraduate study, or as a practical guide to those beginning to explore the potential of action research for developing practice' -
Learning and Teaching Update
'The book is an extremely useful guide to setting-up and carrying out action research [offering] the reader a number of case studies drawn from both UK and international contexts, theoretical views and practical advice for the new researcher...the addition in this second edition of a dedicated chapter on 'how to write for publication' adds great value for the practitioner reader and student alike...Essential reading if you are interested in this field of practitioner research' -
Management in Education
'This book is an exceptionably clear and lucid guide to Action Research. Aimed at practitioners and educational students, from both school and post compulsory sectors, it provides straightforward guidance about what Action Research is and how to carry it out. Clearly written and using many examples and case studies from the author's own teaching it is hard not to be motivated by this book and the possibilities it contains for Action Research in education' -
Yvon Appelby, Senior Lecturer, University of Central Lancashire
This book is a useful guide if you are embarking on action research for the first time. With many illustrative examples and relevant websites, the text takes the student through the research process from defining action research to publishing action research findings.
This book is designed for new researchers in action research and/or teachers/practitioners. It is not weighed down with academic literature or terminology and is well positioned to help undergraduate students. I would however suggest that it would serve only as an approachable guide for post-graduate and doctoral level students.
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The 'walk through' offered by the book is helpful for novices and it follows the action research process well. The movement of the text from review of literature, planning, data gathering, analysis and evidence generation through to writing up is useful. However, the book is not substantial enough when it comes to answering the question \is action research real research. All in all a useful book but not an academic text for discovering the theories of and behind action research.
This is a well written yet accessible guide to action research suitable for the undergraduate market. Examples and case studies are particularly useful. The additional information in this edition around children's rights is welcome.
This is a very useful text for anyone considering using action research. It is practical and full of useful tips.
I organise a teacher researcher group. The group is already using this book as text for its regular meetings, to drive Action Research that we carry out. We are finding it most useful.
Students were conducting an action research project throughout the course and this book walked them through the process nicely.
This is a very clear text - offering advice and structure for teachers undertaking a course in practioner inquiry. This is a key field for us - and the clarity in detail and structure of this text makes it very suitable for practitioner and teachers looking into their own practice.
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(Happy to add more if you want ..!!)
Though this book is written quite clearly and offers many wonderful examples, the topic does not really fit our teaching focus. I am sure, it can give practicioners very good and helpful hints on how to do research in their classrooms. However, we try to teach our teacher students the basics of empirical working. Based on these, I am sure, the book can be a good addition. Therefore, we recommend this book as additional literature.
This book by Koshy is well written and is the 'fools guide' to action research. The introductory chapter could have delved in greater depth into the philosophical perspective that guides action research as an approach, albeit at a basic level. However the straight forward direction and signposting of chapters was heplful
